The Healing Power of Community
Navigating Grief Together
HI! I’m Jenny, your home yoga hype girl. Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I curate the resources, inspiration, and support you need to cultivate a meaningful, personal yoga practice in the comfort of your own home.
Every week, I sift through online yoga content and practice classes from a wide variety of teachers. Then, I gather the best of what I’ve found and share it with you.
All you have to do is read the newsletter & roll out your yoga mat.
Welcome to the third in a series of four, grief themed issues.
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been exploring how grief shows up in our lives and why we struggle to fully process it. This week, our focus shifts to support systems and how they can help us navigate loss in our lives.
The “Put it into Practice” section features longer classes that work well in individual & group settings. I’m also sharing how yoga, when practiced in community, can be used to work through grief and loss..
Let’s get started.
I grew up, in the tiny town of Nikiski, Alaska, surrounded by family. All of my paternal aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived close and we celebrated every special occasion together. Sunny summer days were for BBQ’s, beach bonfires and lake parties. In the winter we played on ice skates, sleds and snowmachines. Birthdays and weddings were always a big deal.
We didn’t just spend happy times together though, we shared the dark days too.
I vividly remember the day my mom showed up at my elementary school with earth shattering news. The unthinkable had happened. My young, vibrant Uncle had died unexpectedly.
After a brief meeting in the school counselors office, my mom shuffled my brother and I out to our car. We didn’t have to ask where we were going. We already knew.
Our Grandma’s house felt like the center of the universe back then and it was already full of people when we arrived. I took my little brother’s hand and snuck past the huddle of distraught adults in the living room.
We crept down the hall to where we knew our cousins would be, dog piled on Grandma’s big bed, watching cartoons. We joined them and felt reassured by the presence of my whole family under one roof.
At the age of eleven, I was old enough to know my family would never be the same. I also knew we would be okay, because we were together.
Now, more than thirty years later, I value this instinct to gather, to mourn communally, more than ever. I feel the full weight of grief now and the support of my loved ones is essential.
In the years since my Uncle’s death, there has been more loss. We laid our matriarch to rest and lost our cousin way too soon. We endured the long goodbyes of dementia and terminal illness.
Through it all, we gather.
We gather around the person closest to the loss. We fill their homes with noise, energy and food. We cover them in love. Each of us knowing, when the time comes, we will receive the same shelter of support.
We share the shock of the unimaginable and soak up each other’s tears. Yet, somehow there is always laughter. We tell each other stories that evoke memories of happier times. We remember how much love was shared with the one who is gone.
I am always in awe of the love that blooms from grief.
Recognizing And Reaching Out To Our Support Systems
I share these experiences with you to illustrate how powerful communal grieving can be.
The past two weeks have been heavy. We’ve been digging up a lot of difficult emotions. We’re ready for the next step.
Now is the time to gather with your people. You may not have the family dynamic I’ve described. That’s okay, you don’t need it. All you need is community and there are many places to find it.
After I quit drinking, I needed support. So, I attended AA meetings. That community poured all of their wisdom and love into the hole that alcohol left in my life. This was exceptionally powerful because everyone there had been where I was, at some point in their lives.
When the time came to embark on a deep healing journey - to face my own shit and step into the maturity of empowered womanhood - I was fortunate enough to find a group of local women dedicated to the same work. We gathered for sound baths and ecstatic dance. We trusted each other with our private traumas. We held each other through the grief of outgrowing who we always thought we were.
What communities do you engage with? Where can you turn to for support? Who shows up for you when the shit hits the fan?
Those are your people. Reach out to them. You don’t have to wait for a crisis. Invite them into all the moments of your life. Share your good days with them and they will support you through your dark ones.
Put It Into Practice
Lately, I’ve been gathering with a small group of close girlfriends to practice yoga, drink tea and hang out. The cold, darkness of Alaskan winter can be isolating. Moving our bodies together and reconnecting in our friendships has been invigorating.
We’ve been calling these gatherings “At Home Yoga Retreats” and they have expanded my view of home yoga.
While home yoga is typically a solo practice, it can also be a transformative group activity. Ultimately, yoga is meant to be shared. It is an excellent way to strengthen bonds and fortify personal connections.
Why not plan or host your own “At Home Yoga Retreat”?
All you need is a few friends and a place to meet up. The gathering can be as simple or elaborate as you desire.
My friends and I have gone all out and carved out entire Sundays for our gatherings. We brought food for potluck dinners and all the pillows, blankets & bolsters we could carry. We took turns sharing favorite practices with the group and spent a lot of quality time visiting.
Other times, we meet up and practice one class, streamed on my laptop.
Your gathering doesn’t have to be fancy. A YouTube yoga class is perfect. Someone might have a favorite meditation they’d like to share. One of my friends led our group in a Chakra Dance - an experience I highly recommend.
Your home yoga retreat can also be an intimate affair. Maybe you want to share the experience with one person. It would be a good way to connect with your bestie, sibling or even your spouse.
There are no rules. It’s your retreat. Do it your way.
Put it Into Practice Part II
This week I’m sharing two very different classes. They will both work well in a group setting or for your personal practice.
They are lengthier classes than usual. Here’s why: if you’re going to go to all the trouble of gathering your friends and/or family together to practice yoga, you might as well take your time!
Every gathering will be different. The group dynamic is dependent on the occasion, the day and the people involved. So, why not have a couple of classes, with totally different teaching styles in your back pocket?
Moments of Euphoria: Nourishment Kemetic Yoga Flow | Sarah Wes
40 Minutes | All Levels
The simplicity of this exquisite class makes it perfect for a communal experience. The cues are paired down to only the most necessary words, leaving room for every student to have their own experience.
As Sarah guides us tenderly, in and out of each pose, she refrains from inserting any of her own thoughts or perspectives, opting to keep her input minimal. This has the effect of making the class feel like a sacred experience.
The visuals are gorgeous, the music is beautiful and the sequence is easily adaptable for every level of student. Personally, I can’t wait to load this up and practice it with my friends.
Yoga Camp Day 3 | I Embrace | Yoga With Adriene
35 Minutes | All Levels
Adriene sets the tone for this fun class with a peppy “What’s Up Party People!” and you just know you’re going to have a good time.
This class is the polar opposite of the previous one, which makes it the perfect addition to this week’s offerings. Adrienne is chatty, upbeat and down to earth. Her personality shines and, though the class is energetic, there is plenty of room for adjustments to accommodate all levels.
**This class is a longtime favorite of mine. It’s been on my playlist since it was released eight years ago! It’s got over a million views on YouTube. WOW.
Final Thoughts
If you cannot physically get together with anyone to practice these classes, you can still share the experience in other ways.
Consider creating a group chat. Practice the classes featured above or share other favorites. Do the classes individually and chat about your experiences. Zoom and FaceTime are also great options for connection.
Don’t forget about the comment sections either! I love hearing from all of you. I’ll be popping in to discuss my thoughts and experiences as I practice the classes throughout the week. Will you Join me?
I hope that the heaviness of interrogating grief begins to lift a little this week. I felt lighter writing this issue. Things are shifting and moving closer to the surface, where they can be released.
Have a wonderful week! See you next Sunday.
I'll get the ball rolling with my favorite part of the Yoga With Adriene Class: Lion's Breath! I love doing lion's breath in a group class because it is the ultimate ice breaker. It'a absolutely impossible to take yourself too seriously while doing that pose. It always makes me laugh.
Hello Jenny, I soooo appreciate reading your thoughts on the power of community which helps nurture and sustain us through all of life. For many people our "go to" is to isolate through difficult situations often because we think others won't understand our fears and anxieties. More often than not we numb out through various addictions like food, alcohol, drugs, overuse of technology...the list is long. The paradox is through connection to others, something bigger than ourselves, we can begin to heal the armored heart. My personal and ongoing healing journey is with a variety of "tools', my recovery group community, meditation, breath work, yoga and movement. We are all walking each other home to the heart...In light, love, and peace.